Emma Hough Hobbs is an Australian animator, filmmaker, and production designer. They are best known for co-writing and co-directing the 2025 animated comedy film Lesbian Space Princess, which won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.
Education Hough Hobbs completed their studies at Flinders University in 2017 with the Chancellor’s Letter of Commendation. The following year, the Fleurieu Film Festival named them among its young inspiring directors
Career Hough Hobbs works across animation, live-action filmmaking, and production design. Their short film On Film, made under the inaugural Hanlon-Larsen Fellowship, screened at SXSW Sydney in 2023 and won Best Animation at the South Australian Screen Awards.
As a props master, Hough Hobbs has worked on feature films, including Gold and Talk to Me.
Lesbian Space Princess
Lesbian Space Princess is an animated comedy feature co-written and co-directed by Hough Hobbs with Leela Varghese and produced by Tom Phillips (We Made a Thing Studios). It is the first feature-length animated film produced in South Australia and was one of three Australian features selected for the 2025 Berlinale.
The film premiered at the Berlinale in February 2025, where it won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film and placed second in the Panorama Audience Award. It subsequently received seven nominations at the 2025 AACTA Awards, including Best Film.
Recognition In 2025, Hough Hobbs was a nominee for the Elle Australia Next Gen Award, and was nominated for the Frank Ford Memorial Young Achiever Award at the Ruby Awards.
Personal life Hough Hobbs is queer and uses she/they pronouns. They are based in Adelaide. They are dating filmmaker and comedian Leela Varghese, with Hobbs recalling they both made the decision to apply to "an initiative to give first-time feature directors," from under-represented groups, for their film Lesbian Space Princess.
Filmography +YearTitleRoleNotes2023On FilmDirector, writerShort film2025Lesbian Space PrincessCo-director, co-writerWith Leela Varghese
Awards and nominations +YearAwardCategoryWorkResult2020Hanlon Larsen Screen Fellowship‘Film On Film‘ (Working title) 2023South Australian Screen AwardsBest AnimationOn Film 2024Adelaide Film FestivalAudience Award for Feature FictionLesbian Space Princess 2025Berlin International Film FestivalTeddy Award for Best Feature FilmLesbian Space Princess 2025Berlin International Film FestivalPanorama Audience AwardLesbian Space Princess2nd place2025AACTA AwardsBest FilmLesbian Space Princess 2025Elle AustraliaNext Gen Award— 2025Ruby AwardsFrank Ford Memorial Young Achiever Award—
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